Travelling to the END OF THE WORLD.

As I mentioned, I started this trip on July 1st, Canada Day, 2010. Clyf came up from Halifax and we drove across Canada together. We took our time and stayed with many friends and family; we had a great time. Clyf flew home from BC and I continued the trip. Through the west coast states and back to BC, which finds me now in Tofino, with time to write. I had prepared myself to travel forever; for the rest of my life. Now Clyf's travelling again, that may be his intention too, I'm not sure.
As I said before, I'll stop and work here and there, a year here, a month there, five years there (ug, really, five?). Whatever.
And, yet again in this blog, I am exploring over the rim - going a little further in what I am willing to share in an online forum:
The END OF THE WORLD?!?!!!? Holy crap, that sounds pretty final. But what is it really? When I die? When tsunami's and earthquakes and climate change wipe us all out, us human parasite on this earth? Either, whichever comes first.
My friend Maya said today, over sushi, a friend had said to her - "you people figured out 500 years ago that the world is round, but you're still living in one that's flat." Good over here, bad over there, and a straight line in between. Sad but true.
So I guess, inside, I am exploring to the end of that world, - to truly be who I am, an idealist, passionate, but also going beyong good and evil - to simply me. Whole. So you can be simply you, when you're with me. That's one world that's ending.
It was funny, travelling in the States and Canada, to see how many people believe in the end of the world stuff. I kinda do, not on the precise moment of December 21st, 2012 necessarily, but really- you can only rape the earth for so long. You can only kick the grizzly bear in the corner for so long, shove 'core tubes' in it and cover it in tar and crap, before it gets up kills you.
The disturbing part of this common belief is how people are reacting to it: with so much fear and hostility. All over North America I have heard the same thing, "my cousin Bob's stockin up on guns, canned tuna, and water". Mmhm. And how is that gonna help with a tidal wave? And if it's not a tidal wave, maybe you moved inland to be away from that risk; how is that gonna help with an earthquake, 40 days of rain, a year of darkness?
Maybe the essential difference is our belief systems. I believe in an orderly universe, for the most part. Whether it's God, or the Creator, or just math, I think things happen for a reason. Here I need a quote from "The Master and Margarita" (I love that book), that I'm pretty sure I can't find, so I'm not gonna look. I'll find it later, I have it on a piece of art I did years ago (the day my Dad died), and it's in storage in Vancouver.
Pontius Pilate tells Jesus, in trying to get him to capitulate, "you realize your life is hanging by a thread", and Jesus says, "and you think you can cut it..?" Pilate bristles, says, "my patience is wearing thin, you know I can, with an order." Jesus responds, "I'm pretty sure the only one who can cut it - is he who has hung it."
Let's pretend the world really is going to end, or - let's pretend we're all going to die.
Wait a sec... ;)
Either I'm going to die or I'm not. Each day. Whether it's the end of the world or not. What determines that? In my universe - it is being of some value in my round world. Or - simply being on my path. Whatever that is. If 2012 comes and I get fragged by an earthquake - cool, whatever. Sounds painless. Up to that point, I have lived my life, according to my highest ideals (most of the time). Or, if I live to 81, and my life, my "world," ends - at the bottom of a cliff in the Himalayas - cool, whatever. Up to that point, I have lived my life, according to my highest ideals (most of the time).
I am travelling to end of the world. I hope people will put down their arms, share their cans of tuna in a big potluck sidewalk dinner for people we don't know, and believe - that if we simply fill our place in this world, day-to-day, we will die when we're supposed to die. Let's live when we're supposed to live.